CM Naidu seeks Rs 10,000 cr for Andhra under Special Assistance to States on Capital Investment

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to sanction an additional Rs 10,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh in the 2025-26 financial year under the Special Assistance to States on Capital Investment (SASCI).
According to a release, on Wednesday, during his second-day visit to Delhi, the Chief Minister met with Sitharaman and submitted a memorandum requesting financial support for various state projects.
He also appealed to the 16th Finance Commission to approve the Andhra Pradesh government's plea to bridge the revenue deficit. The Chief Minister highlighted that the state continues to face financial constraints due to the bifurcation.
The Chief Minister informed Nirmala Sitharaman that the construction of Amaravati requires a total of Rs 79,280 crore, with works worth Rs 44,351 crore already underway. However, Rs 26,000 crore remains unallocated. He emphasised the need for additional funds to complete the capital's development and requested that the second tranche of aid for Amaravati be disbursed as a grant.
The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to the central government for its support in the construction of the Amaravati and Polavaram projects.
Earlier, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu deliberated key issues concerning water management between the two states during a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in the national capital on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Telangana Chief Minister proposed the idea of implementing telemetry in all water projects and reservoirs to measure actual water usage, which was accepted by Andhra Pradesh, according to the Telangana CMO release.
Both sides agreed to allocate the Godavari River Management Board in Hyderabad and the Krishna RMB in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh acceded to Telangana's proposal to repair the prestigious Srisailam project immediately, the release said.
An Officers' and Technical Experts' committee will be established to address all pending issues between the two sides, including the long-pending water projects in Telangana for both the Krishna and Godavari river basins, it said. (ANI)